IQ scores have been steadily falling for the past few decades, and environmental factors are to blame, a new study says.

The research suggests that genes aren’t what’s driving the decline in IQ scores, according to the study, published Monday.
Norwegian researchers analysed the IQ scores of Norwegian men born between 1962 and 1

991 and found that scores increased by almost 3 percentage points each decade for those born between 1962 to 1975 — but then saw a steady decline among those born after 1975.

Similar studies in Denmark, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Finland and Estonia have demonstrated a similar downward trend in IQ scores, said Ole Rogeberg, a senior research fellow at the Ragnar Frisch Center for Economic Research in Norway and co-author of the new study.

“The causes in IQ increases over time and now the decline is due to environmental factors,” said Rogeburg, who believes the change is not due to genetics.
“It’s not that dumb people are having more kids than smart people, to put it crudely. It’s something to do with the environment, because we’re seeing the same differences within families,” he said.

These environmental factors could include changes in the education system and media environment, nutrition, reading less and being online more, Rogeberg said.

The earlier rise in IQ scores follows the “Flynn effect,” a term for the long-term increase in intelligence levels that occurred during the 21st century, arguably the result of better access to education, according to Stuart Ritchie, a postdoctoral fellow in cognitive ageing at the University of Edinburgh whose research explores IQ scores and intelligence and who was not involved in the new study.

Researchers have long preferred to use genes to explain variations in intelligence over environmental factors. However, the new study turns this thinking on its head.

Intelligence is heritable, and for a long time, researchers assumed that people with high IQ scores would have kids who also scored above average. Moreover, it was thought that people with lower scores would have more kids than people with high IQ scores, which would contribute to a decline in IQ scores over time and a “dumbing down” of the general population, according to Rogeberg.

Anyone who has seen the film “Idiocracy” might already be familiar with these ideas. In the scientific community, the idea of unintelligent parents having more kids and dumbing-down the population is known as the dysgenic fertility theory, according to Ritchie.

The study looked at the IQ scores of brothers who were born in different years. Researchers found that, instead of being similar as suggested by a genetic explanation, IQ scores often differed significantly between the siblings.

“The main exciting finding isn’t that there was a decline in IQ,” Ritchie said. “The interesting thing about this paper is that they were able to show a difference in IQ scores within the same families.”

The study not only showed IQ variance between children the same parents, but because the authors had the IQ scores of various parents, it demonstrated that parents with higher IQs tended to have more kids, ruling out the dysgenic fertility theory as a driver of falling IQ scores and highlighting the role of environmental factors instead.

Access to education is currently the most conclusive factor explaining disparities in intelligence, according to Ritchie. In a separate study that has not been released, he and his colleagues looked at existing research in an effort to demonstrate that staying in school longer directly equates to higher IQ scores.

But more research is needed to better understand other environmental factors thought to be linked to intelligence. Robin Morris, a professor of psychology at Kings College in London who was not involved in Ritchie’s research, suggests that traditional measures of intelligence, such as the IQ test, might be outmoded in today’s fast-paced world of constant technological change.

Morris states that “we need to recognise that as time changes and people are exposed to different intellectual experiences, such as changes in the use of technology, for example social media, the way intelligence is expressed also changes. Educational methods need to adapt to such changes,” Morris said.

Diane Shawe author of ‘Is Adult Education Broken” goes on to state in her publication that “No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is but the world as it will be.”

In her thought provoking book she explains that we are living in a new economy—powered by technology, fueled by information, and driven by knowledge which increasingly is increasingly becoming automated. We are entering the new century with opportunity on our side with huge problems that require new thinking.

How can we make the new economic age enhance, rather than diminish, our quality of learning?

How can we make this amazing innovation advance the prospects of all people especially those with experience and not just for the youth?

Fundamentally, we need to change what people learn, how people learn, when people learn, and even why people learn.

Inside her publication she explores

: Failure to find a fomular to develop teachers convergent and divergent facilitatingskills

Is Adult Education Broken?

Adult education has become undervalued in an overpriced educational infrastructure.

The people who need the most help are already systematically ripped off by greedy loan companies, NHS parking, having to pay charges for drawing out their own money from private ATM machines in poorer boroughs, pre-paid electric meter’s to name but a few.

The more you seem to need help the more you seem to have to pay.

Off course, the arguments are always about risk, but to compound on top of their needs, a premium, just to make sure the risk is compensated for is questionable indeed. But another kind of ripping off is taking place. ‘Free online education’ you may ask ‘why is this a rip-off people”?
I will answer this from my perspective initially and then make further arguments as to why we should be very concerned about this un-policed, unchallenged butchery of the values originally infused into our adult educational system.

So if you all but think Adult Education is Broken and all but given up, this book spills the beans on what has gone wrong, what questions need to be addressed and if certain issues are tackled by Government, then there’s Hope,

As Isaac Asimov—a master of science fiction literature—once said:

“No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is but the world as it will be.”

So the big Question is – What has happened?

Why have these large institutions priced education out of some fundamental principles?

Why on the other spectrum are all these free courses flooded the market?

How can we make the new economic age enhance, rather than diminish, our quality of learning?

How can we make this amazing innovation advance the prospects of all people especially those with or without experience and not just for the youth?

It is clear that at this moment most educational systems are not keeping pace with changing technology and the ever-evolving world of work.

“If unemployment formed a country it would be the 5th largest in the world”

Isaac Asimov

Not enough people are thinking strategically enough in this area. Fundamentally, we need to change what people learn, how people learn, when people learn, and even why people learn.

We must get beyond the traditional model of students sitting passively in classrooms, following instructions and memorising material that they are tested and scored on which sometimes turn out to be of little use in an every changing economy.

“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” Darwin

Throughout the ages, every human society has experienced challenges adjusting to population growth, maintaining structural order and creating channels for future generations. How well a society prepares the next generation for survival is imperative for the society as a whole but we have stalled in this process.

Diane Shawe Author states that “the traditional belief that we must prepare ourselves to be ‘employable’ is under threat. The counter argument encourages us to ‘gear up’ for earning our own money, rather than seeing income as someone else’s responsibility”

With the population dramatically aging and low-level jobs increasingly swallowed up by machinery, entrepreneurship will be a necessity for many, rather than a lifestyle choice for some.

SMEs are of course already leading this charge but in order to gear up for the future we need to start off by asking a serious question, defining criteria’s and examining trends, impact these trends will have and plan a way to jointly prepare current and future generations to be both employable and entrepreneurial.

We are living in a new economy—powered by technology, fueled by information, and driven by knowledge. And we are entering the new century with an opportunity on our side but huge problems that require new thinking.

THE 20 MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONAL STYLE BLOGGERS RIGHT NOW AND WHY BLOGGING CAN HELP YOUR BRAND

Available from Amazon

When twitter came out and account holders tweeted what they ate, we all thought twitter had a short life span. Now the media rummages through top celebrities tweets to find something sensationable to report about. Would be employers have been know to use candidates social media postings as evidence against them.

The era of the Personal style bloggers use to get caricatured as either geeks or pretty, brainless girls who dress up for their camera-wielding boyfriends and post their results to a WordPress blog.

But wait a minute, with instagram, Facebook, linkedin and twitter integration most of these bloggers have grown quiet influential with hundred of thousands of followers. Over the past decade, these independent publishers have become a real force in the fashion industry — not just snapping up front row seats at fashion shows, but landing major campaigns and collaborations with brands, becoming regular guests on TV shows like “Today” and “America’s Next Top Model,” and turning their blogs into multimillion-dollar businesses. Some have become household names. Independent European bloggers are harder to pin down as most of them are linked to magazines.

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest followers, as well as website traffic. These numbers gave us a snapshot of how many people these bloggers are reaching every day.

Brand extensions. We gave props to bloggers who have used their influence to create original products.

It factor. We talked to industry insiders about whom advertisers are loving right now, and who is moving the most products via affiliate links.

Google News searches. Headline makers were rewarded for extending their reach beyond their own network.

Chiara Ferragni. Photo: Jason Merritt for Getty Images Entertainment

1. Chiara Ferragni, The Blonde Salad
The 27-year-old Italian, who now lives in Los Angeles, has the broadest reach of any individual fashion blogger on our list, with more than 3 million Instagram followers. She’s a global star, as popular in Europe as she is in the U.S. What’s more, links from her site drive traffic and conversions, according to many of the brands with whom she has partnered. She was also recently named to an expert panel that will help determine the shortlist.

2. Aimee Song, Song of Style
Song, 28, is a Los Angeles-based interior designer whose straightforward street-style shots have made her popular with brands and readers alike. Song also has an incredible Instagram following — 1.9 million — and has worked hard to build her YouTube audience as well, with more than 28,000 subscribers to her channel.

3. Wendy Nguyen, Wendy’s Lookbook
Yet another L.A.-based blogger, Nguyen, 31, is best known for her YouTube channel, which currently boasts 600,000-plus subscribers. (Her 2011 video, “25 Ways to Tie a Scarf” has been viewed over 29 million times.) Nguyen’s point of view is unique in that she grew up in the foster system, and has opened up about her experiences to her readers.

Kristina Bazan. Photo: Frazer Harrison for Getty Images Entertainment

4. Kristina Bazan, Kayture
This Swiss-model blogger, 21, has an impressive reach on Facebook — with more than 1.1 million likes — in addition to a major presence on Instagram, Twitter, etc. Bazan is a favorite of high-end brands: she’s worked with Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss and Piaget, among others.

5. Julie Sariñana, Sincerely Jules
The 29-year-old blogger, who lives in Los Angeles, started her site in 2009 — early, compared to many of her peers. Her easy, approachable style has translated well into her own line of t-shirts, printed with often inspirational, occasionally irreverent, quotes.

6. Rumi Neely, Fashion Toast
Neely, 31, launched Fashion Toast in 2007. Her particular style of blogging — photo-heavy posts featuring cool clothes and model poses — has greatly influenced the generation of influencers who have followed her. While Neely has collaborated with established brands in the past, she recently launched her own line. Are You Am I, a collection of slip dresses, tap pants and distinctly cut tees, is notable for its specificity. For fans who want to emulate Neely’s style — and there are plenty of them — there is nothing more perfect.

7. Nicole Warne, Gary Pepper Girl
One of three bloggers to land Lucky‘s February 2015 cover, the Sydney-based Warne, 25, first launched Gary Pepper as a vintage e-commerce site in 2009. Warne started out blogging and modeling the clothes as a way to market the website, and by 2011, it was one of the largest online vintage retailers in Australia. However, the young entrepreneur’s side project soon became the main event, and in 2012 she shut down the e-commerce leg of Gary Pepper to focus on her blog-driven business.

Blair Eadie. Photo: Cindy Ord for Getty Images Entertainment

8. Blair Eadie, Atlantic-Pacific
The New York-based Eadie, 29, is best known for her accessible, yet educated, approach to fashion. Based in San Francisco when she launched the blog, Eadie has worked as a merchandiser for brands like Gap and Tory Burch, which means she has a professional edge when it comes to outfit posts. And brands like love working with her because she has a reputation for converting readers into shoppers.

9. Julia Engel, Gal Meets Glam
The San Francisco-based Engel, 23, is seen as an up-and-comer in the space. She’s already amassed a large following across platforms, from Pinterest to Instagram. Appealing to the same sorts of readers who worship Lauren Conrad’s pretty aesthetic, Engel’s site is easy to navigate, with lots of opportunities to shop affiliate links.

10. Nicolette Mason
Mason, who writes a monthly column for Marie Claire and designed her own collection for Modcloth last fall, is one of the most in-demand bloggers working right now. The 29-year-old writer played a role in the promotion and social media around Target’s new plus-size collection Ava & Viv and is also a budding TV personality, offering style advice on programs including “Today” and “Good Morning America.” Mason is notable because she uses her blog as a platform to discuss bigger social issues, including race, sexuality and body image.

12. Bryanboy
The OG fashion blogger and best friend of Fashion Toast‘s Rumi Neely, the New York-based, Philippines-bred Bryan Grey Yambao has transformed from an online-diary keeper to a celebrity and fashion insider. While other bloggers from his era have fallen off the map, Yambao, 32, has remained relevant by branching out. Memorable projects include a collection with furrier Adrienne Landau and a hosting spot on several seasons of “America’s Next Top Model.”

13. Elin Kling
The New York-based Kling, who is Swedish, was one of the first bloggers to collaborate with a brand on a collection. (In 2011, H&Mreleased a Kling-designed line.) But her fantastic stand-alone label, Toteme, has transformed Kling, 31, from a blogger to a full-fledged designer.

14. Zanita Whittington
The Stockholm-based Aussie, 28, was one of Lucky‘s February cover stars. Along with modeling and blogging, Whittington is also serious about photography. Her site is a sort of “how to” for aspiring bloggers, with service pieces on starting a blog and building an audience.

Gabi Gregg. Photo: Ilya S. Savenok for Getty Images Entertainment

15. Gabi Gregg, Gabifresh
One of three plus-size bloggers chosen to star in the campaign for Target’s new Ava & Viv collection, Gregg started her blog in 2008 when she couldn’t find an entry-level job in fashion journalism. Now 28 and based in Los Angeles, the blogger has appeared on the “Today” show, designed a sell-out swimwear collection, and partnered with brands including Misguided, Nordstrom and Laura Mercier.

16. Danielle Bernstein, We Wore What
The New York-based blogger, 23, started her site as an FIT undergrad eager to capture the style of her fellow students. It soon transformed into a personal style forum, leading to a design project with Topshop.

17. Jessica Stein,Tuula Vintage
This Sydney-based blogger, 25, spends a good chunk of her time traveling, and sharing her adventures via Instagram. (She’s currently parked in the Maldives.) Brands like Dior Beauty partner with her for the obvious reasons: she has great taste and an enviable life.

Susanna Lau. Photo: Cindy Ord for Getty Images Entertainment

18. Susanna Lau, Style Bubble
Forever the no. 1 blogger to fashion insiders, the 31-year-old Lau is now one of the industry’s leading voices. While her creative outfit posts are still appreciated, she is even more loved for her sharp opinion, contributing to publications including Elle UK and Business of Fashion, as well as posting regularly on her own site.

19. Chriselle Lim, The Chriselle Factor
With a massive YouTube following, the Los Angeles-based wardrobe stylist, 29, offers her audience plenty of tips and tricks via video. She’s worked with brands including Coach and Banana Republic.

20. Jane Aldridge, Sea of Shoes
Another blogging pioneer, the Dallas-based Aldridge started her site at age 15. Eight years later, she’s still at it, partnering with brands like Lovegold and Cartier on a regular basis.

Most Bottled Water is FILLED With Fluoride, Here’s a Complete List of Brands to Avoid

“Fluoride seems to fit in with lead, mercury, and other poisons that cause chemical brain drain,”Grandjean says. “The effect of each toxicant may seem small, but the combined damage on a population scale can be serious, especially because the brain power of the next generation is crucial to all of us.”

As with other fresh water supplies (e.g., spring water, lake water, river water), bottled waters have low levels of fluoride.
Fresh surface water contains an average of just 0.05 ppm. To put this in perspective, artificially fluoridated water (using industrial-grade fluoride chemicals) contains 0.7 to 1.2 ppm fluoride, which is 14 to 24 times more than the average natural level.

Fluoride Health Problems

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the presence of fluoride in public drinking water (fluoridation). For starters, before fluoride was used to fight cavities, it was (and still is) used in insecticides and rat poision.

Fluorosis is a condition that wears down the enamal of the tooth, leaving behind white spots, making the teeth more vulnerable to cavities and decay. Fluorosis is a very real health condition that can effect both children and adults. More and more evidence is mounting against the use of fluoride, even in small amounts. But it doesn’t appear to be a critical issue according to the US Surgeon Generals, as the last 5 Surgeon Generals have supported the fluoridation of drinking water. Incidentally, the claimed health benefits almost always point to oral health. Fortunately, the CDC is calling for new labeling rules requiring manufacturers to list a product’s fluoride content, which we have found to be missing in some cases.

What is too much Fluoride?

Fluoride itself is actually required by our bodies in low doses. When consumed in high amounts, specifically the man-made fluoride that is in public drinking water, can cause problems.

An estimated 5-10g of sodium fluoride can be lethal for some adults. While fluoride provides benefits to your oral health, it can also come with adverse side effects, that vary in severity depending upon the amount of fluoride consumed. Excessive consumption of fluoride can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort. This can occur with doses 15 to 20 times lower than actual lethal doses (0.2-0.3mg/kg). Fluoride in exessive amounts can also cause problems in the formation bone.

Here are some bottled water brands that contain little to no fluoride:

A Better Water

Agromas Natural Mineral Water

Albertsons

Alpina

American Fare

American Star

Appco

Aqua Fresca

Aqua Panna

Aqua Pure

Aquarius Natural Mineral Water

Arbor Springs

Arlington Springs

Aquafina Water

Aqua Systems

Aqua Von

Artesian Wells

Augusta Medical – Daniels

Badger Water

Besco Pure Premium Drinking Water

BIOTA Colorado Pure Spring Water

Bio-2

Black Berry Farms

Blue Ice Natural Mineral Water

Boney’s

BORNEO

Bountyland

Buches

Calistoga

Callaway Blue

CAPA

Cascade

Century Springs

Chemung

Chippewa Spring Water

Citi Stop

Classic Selection

Clearly Arctic

Clear Mountain Spring Water

Clover Company Limited

Coach

Cold Country

Cohutta Mountain Spring Water

Cowboy Squeeze

Crowne Plaza Drinking Water

Crowne Plaza Natural Mineral Water

Cruel Jacks Spring Water

Crystal Mountain Spring Water

Crystal Point

Crystal Ridge

Crystal Spring Natural Spring Water

Culligan Water

Dakota Splash

Dannon

Deep Rock

Deep Rock Crystal Drop

Deep Rock Fontenelle

Deja Blue

Desert Quench

East Phils

Eco Quest

Elite

Equatorial Natural Mineral Water

Essentia Water

Eureka

Evian

E Water

Family Pantry

Famous Ramona Water

Flowing Springs

Food Club

Founders Square Bank

Fresh Brands Artesian

Fresh Brands Distilled Water

Fresh Brands Drinking Water

Fresh Market

Get-N-Go

Glacier Bay

Glen Summit Springs Water

Glen Summit Distilled Water

Glenwood Inglewood

Gordon Food Service

Great Bear

Great Value

Harvey’s

H2O4U

Henry’s

Hidden Valley Natural Mineral Water

Hillcrest Distilled Water

Hillcrest Drinking Water

Hillcrest Spring Water

Hilton PJ Natural Mineral Water

Hinckley Springs

HINT

Hi-Sprint Drinking Water

Hi-Sprint Natural Mineral Water

Hog Wash

Hon Less Natural Mineral Water

Ice Jam

Inland

Istana Natural Mineral Water

Joe Muggs

Joe Ragan’s Pure Water

Junior Johnson

Just Squeezed

KLGCC Natural Mineral Water

Kroger Bottled Water (Reverse Osmosis)

Krystal J Artesian Water

Krystal J Distilled Water

Laure

Leroy Jenkins Ministries

Logansport Savings Bank

Lowe’s

Martins

Masafi Pure Natural Mineral Water

Mercurio Produce

Mesra Drinking Water

Mesra Natural Mineral Water

Misty Mountain

Monadnock Mountain Spring Water

Montclair

Mountain Energy

Mountain Forest

Mountain Valley Spring Water

Mutiara Natural Mineral Water

Nantze Springs

New Frontier Bank

Niagra Mist

Nicolet Distilled

Northern Illinois University

Oasis Pure Drinking Water

Oasis Sparkling Water

Ogallala – Clear Cool Water

OUI Drinking Water

OUI Natural Mineral Water

Paiges

Parmer Pure H2O

Patriots Choice

Pelangi Natural Mineral Water

Penta Ultra Premium Purified Drinking Water

Piggly Wiggly

Polaris Water

Pristine Natural Artesian

Purely Sedona

Quick Stop

Rain Soft

Refresh Natural Mineral Water

Reiser Drinking Water

Request Foods, Inc.

Rip Time

Roundy’s “Purified Water”

Safeway – Refreshe

Sam’s Wine & Spirits

San Faustino Natural Mineral Water

San Pellegrino

Santee Springs

Scheopner’s Water

Sequoia Springs

Scotts

Shamrock

Shop-N-Cart

Shur-Fine

Silver Creek Purified Water

Silver Creek Spring Water

Sky Drinking Water

Smart Water

Snow Valley

Spinx

Stator Bros. Markets

Summit Mountain

Summit Springs

Summit Valley

T-Rex

Teton Mountain Lodge Spring Water

Tweetsie

United Dairy Farmers

Volvic

Vitamin Water

Veta Drinking Water

Valutime

Whistler Water

Whole Foods 365

Woodland Spring Water

Wyoming Machinery “Catipillar” Spring Water

Zodiac

List of brands to avoid that are known to be high in fluoride:

Alhambra

Arrowhead

Belmont Springs

Crystal Rock

Crystal Springs

Deer Park

Diamond Springs

Hindley Spri

Ice Mountain

Kandiyohi

Kentwood Springs

Mayer Bros.

Mount Olympus

Nursery Water

Ozarka

Poland Spring

Pure Flo

Puritan Springs

Shenandoah

Sierra Springs

Sparkletts

Zephyrhills

The list contains data provided by the International Bottled Water Association that you can use to make sure you’re not feeding fluoride to yourself and your family.

Fear of failure and not standing out from the crowd will not get you far up the ladder of success

article by Diane Shawe M.Ed. Ed
Four monkeys were placed in a room that had a tall pole in the center. Suspended from the top of that pole was a bunch of bananas. One of the hungry monkeys started climbing the pole to get something to eat, but just as he reached out to grab a banana, he was doused with a torrent of cold water.

Squealing, he scampered down the pole and abandoned his attempt to feed himself.

Each monkey made a similar attempt, and each one was drenched with cold water. After making several attempts, they finally gave up.

Then researchers removed one of the monkeys from the room and replaced him with a new monkey. As the newcomer began to climb the pole, the other three grabbed him and pulled him down to the ground.

After trying to climb the pole several times and being dragged down by the others, he finally gave up and never attempted to climb the pole again.

The researchers replaced the original monkeys, one by one, and each time a new monkey was brought in, he would be dragged down by the others before he could reach the bananas.

In time, the room was filled with monkeys who had never received a cold shower. None of them knew why.

Being busy isn’t the same as being productive, but how do you assess what you need to do to improve both your productivity and your staff?

Would an online Personal Training Need Analysis that takes about 10 minutes help?

ThenCLICK HERE TO TRY ONE FREEPersonal Training Needs Analysis and in as little as two hours you can judge for yourself if it would be of use in your business.

Would it help if you could find out how to get the best out of your employees?

Would it help to be able to speed up Pre-Interview selections, Staff Appraisals, Training Needs, Personal Development, Management Selection, Team building and any of those otherwise expensive long winded, time consuming and expensive process?

Well click on our complimentary link to see how it works, I promise you will not be disappointed.

What most people, employers, entrepreneurs and even some educational institutions do not have in today’s current environment is time, the necessary resources and the infrastructure they need to support and achieve learning objectives cost effectively.

Out with the Old in with the new but who is going to be ready at the ‘Start Line’ with all the right tools to assist with the new Continued Competences?

We can offer a person centric online Personal Training Needs analysis tools and reports to aid in the development of any individuals or organisations growth. The profiles and learning programmes are designed to help reduce risk and to create action and results. Goal setting is no good without implementation.

We invite you with our compliments to click and complete 10 simple questions and we will send you back a report so that you can see how it works and give us your feedback.

In order to better identify and appraise an individual to pinpoint specific training needs, the Speed of Implementation and adaption to change will confirm who gets ahead or sustain growth by using technology to help with self appraisal, self reflection and personal development.

However, the new skill set or competencies, aims to define the standards needed to enter, compete and remain in the profession which mainly comprise of the following:

Ethics, professionalism and judgment;

Financial Literacy and Technical ability;

Managing yourself and your work;

Working with other people.

That said, in order to meet these new core competencies, individuals and organisations will be required to undergo a process of self-reflection through a high-level Personal Training learning needs analysis to identify their own learning gaps; as well as identify gaps specific to those needed by the organisation they work with. Ideally, this process will be recorded and accompanied by an evaluation of the success of the learning completed and ultimately, organisations will be required to make an annual declaration that they have considered and taken action to address Point of Need training.

We look forward to your feedback once you get your free report back and then maybe we can discuss the speed of implementing this process throughout your business or consulting services.

Just click here now and in just 10 minutes you would have completed 10 questions and we will send you back the results.

“The only thing worse than training people and having them leave, is not training them and having them stay”

What do we do..

We specialise in resourcing short courses via a pre-populated LMS solution for Point of Need Training via mobile devices so that all different levels of staff can access training whilst on the move using their own device supported by one off our virtual tutors to help them complete their online 4 weeks course.

Loads of grants and bursaries go unclaimed each year in the UK, so we’ve created this guide so you can bag the cash you’re entitled to.

Further education loans for mature students in England

You’ll need to be studying a Level 3 or 4 course – these include A-levels, Access to Higher Education Diplomas and many apprenticeships You can take a loan for each A-level, but you can’t take them all at once. You must also have lived anywhere in the UK for the last three years.

There’s no credit check to get the loan, and it doesn’t depend on your household income. How much you get depends on what you’re studying and what your college charges in tuition fees. The minimum loan is £300. The loan will be paid directly to the college.

There’s also a 24+ Advanced Learning Loans Bursary Fund, which you can apply to if you need learning help, or to cover childcare or residential costs.

If you’re studying an Access to Higher Education diploma, then go on to complete a higher education course, your 24+ Advanced Learning Loan is written off.

You start paying the loan back when you earn £21,000 a year or more. Interest is charged at RPI+3% while you’re studying, then at RPI.

Who can apply? Anyone over the age of 24 studying a Level 3 or 4 course.What’s the maximum award? £300 upwards. What does it cover? Tuition fees/training costs.

Free short courses

Fee-free tuition for Scottish students

If you live in Scotland and decide to study at a university in Scotland, you won’t have to pay anything towards tuition fees, you’ll be guaranteed to get a maintenance loan and may be eligible for a bursary. But if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you’ll still have to pay up to £9,000 a year to study in Scotland.

The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) offers the Young Students’ Bursary, which covers day-to-day living costs if your family’s household income is less than £34,000 a year. Those on an income of less than £17,000 will get the full bursary of £1,750.

Anyone who applies through SAAS will be eligible for a loan of at least £4,750 if their household income is £34,000 or above, while others will receive £5,750.

There’s also an Independent Students’ Bursary and student loan for those who are 25 or over, are married or living with a partner, or responsible for a child. Here, you’ll get a bursary of £750 if your household income is under £17,000.

Loans work in the same way for mature students – you’ll get at least £4,750 if your household income is over £34,000, while those with an income under £17,000 can borrow up to £6,750.

Who can apply? Loans: Everyone. Bursary: Households earning under £34,000 a year.What’s the maximum award? £300 upwards. What does it cover? Living or studying costs.

Individual Learning Accounts for Scottish adults

If you live in Scotland and earn less than £22,000 a year, you could get some funding from ILA Scotland.

This provides a grant of £200 towards the cost of learning something new at any approved provider, including learning centres, colleges, universities and private training companies.

Who can apply? Adults in Scotland. What’s the maximum award? £200. What does it cover? Learning costs.

Discretionary Learner Support

You can apply for Discretionary Learner Support from your education provider if you’re 19 or over, studying for a further education course, and facing financial hardship. This money can go towards childcare, accommodation, travel or course materials & equipment.

Your school or college decides how much you’ll get, and which scheme you’ll be put on, ie it could be a direct payment (you don’t have to pay it back), a loan, or paid directly to your landlord.

Who can apply? Anyone over 19. How much can you get? Varies. What does it cover? Any costs associated with studying

Care to Learn

There is help for those who have to bear the cost of course fees and childcare through the Government’s Care to Learn scheme. You must be 20 years or over at the start of your course to be eligible for the scheme, and be the main carer for your child. This is not suitable for those studying a higher education course at university.

The sum covers childcare, deposit and registration fees, travel costs for taking your child to the provider, and keeping your childcare place over the holidays. Childcare providers must be registered with Ofsted.

Payments of £160 per child per week (£175 if you live in London) will stop if you stop studying, you finish the course, or your child stops attending childcare.

Who can apply? Aged 20 or over, studying publicly-funded course in England. How much can you get? £160 or £175 per child per week. What does it cover? Childcare costs.

Professional and Career Development Loans

If you think grants and loans are only for university students, think again. These loans are offered at a reduced interest rate, which the Government pays while you’re studying, and are there to help those who want to top up their training.

To be eligible, you need to be over 18 and must have been living in anywhere in the UK for at least three years before the start of your course. Your course must last two years, or up to three years with a year of work experience.

The snag is that the course must be provided by an organisation on the Professional Career and Development Loan Register, so you’ll need to check.

Who can apply? Anyone over 18. How much can you get? Between £300 and £10,000. What does it cover? Any tuition costs associated with developing your career.

Mobile Learning, Mobile Earning

Local council grants

Your local council may offer grants to advance your education. As councils can assign funding to different areas, search for local training providers using the Gov.uk website.

Quick Stats: Who can apply? Varies. What’s the maximum award? Varies. What does it cover? Depends on the type of grant available.

Setting up your own business

Over 50 and interested in setting up your own business?

The Prince’s Initiative, a charity that supports people who are out of work or facing redundancy, offers a Preparing to Run Your Own Business Course for the over-50s. It’s free but requires an £80 deposit, reduced to £25 if you’re claiming an employment-related benefit, which is refunded when you’ve finished the course.

The course runs all over the UK and includes areas such as marketing and finance. For more information, or to book a place, see the Prime website or call 0845 862 2023.

Who can apply? Over-50s. What’s the maximum award? N/A. What does it cover? 6-7 week course with 3 training days and coursework.

Want to improve your maths and English skills?

If you’ve ever wanted to improve your maths and English skills, virtually every college in the country offers free courses to help you from basic literacy and numeracy up to GCSE level. Check on the National Careers Service website or call 0800 100 900 for classes in your area.

If we hadn’t had the most recent global economical crisis and the unrest in certain war torn regions had not occurred, there might have been 62 million more jobs in the world today, according to the International Labor Organisation as it is, there are over 200 million people looking for work across the globe.

To add to our worries: 75 million of these are young people, eager to take that first firm foothold in the ladder of success. We cannot allow them to become a “lost” generation.

The Great Recession has been particularly hard on older workers also, who have had difficulty finding new jobs after being unemployed for long spells. This is especially troubling because of their pressing needs for health care and retirement preparation.

It is also doubtful that the long-term unemployed are going to become more effective jobseekers simply by being forced to visit a Job centre daily if indeed they have a job centre in some parts of the world. But I am going to site that back in 1996, when the Jobseeker’s Allowance was introduced, the requirement to visit a Job centre every two weeks and provide detailed evidence of active job search did not raise overall job search effort among the unemployed.

If explicit job search requirements were not effective in a period of rapidly growing labour demand and falling unemployment, there is no good reason to expect them to be effective in the aftermath of a severe recession and one cannot certainly make a claim to recovery based on one geographical location sprinkled with opportunities driven by technology and property prices.

So clearly, jobs must be a preeminent priority in the years ahead. The major test of the new technological era is simple: can it provide decent livelihoods for all people?

Certainly, those with the lowest skills are having the toughest time in today’s economy.

And yet, we also need to discuss what kind of growth this “right track” leads to. Will it be solid, sustainable, and balanced—or will it be fragile, erratic, and unbalanced?

To answer this question, we need to look at the patterns of economic activity in the years ahead, and especially the role of education, technology and innovation in driving us forward.

As Isaac Asimov—a master of science fiction literature—once said: “No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be.” Isaac Asimov

So I have chosen a big topic and what I want to address in my blog today, in the form of three questions:

1. First, what does this new technological era mean for the economy, especially for jobs?

2. Second, how does it relate to one of the scourges of our age—rising inequality?

3. Third, what about some solutions, including vocational education and what I refer to as the growing need to foster a new thinking around “Entreployability”

The Interlinkages between Technology and the economy

Innovation is pushing ahead at warp speed. We are certainly living through one of the most exciting periods in human history. The pace of change is so fast that even the technology of five years ago seems prehistoric.

Those of you who are students probably do not even remember a time when phones were not smart, when cameras contained film, when texts meant school books, and when wireless was a word used for old-fashioned radio!

This advance is centered on the rise of a global digital network—the “hyperconnected world”—combined with the rise of genuine machine intelligence. Today’s smart phones are more powerful than yesterday’s supercomputers. We see cars driving themselves, printers making complicated three-dimensional parts, and robots doing the most complex tasks. “Science fiction” is rapidly becoming “science fact”.

What does this all mean for our lives and livelihoods, for our common economic future?

If the previous revolutions were about using machines for brawn, this is about using machines for brains. And since technology is powering a giant leap in global interconnectivity, these are “connected” brains! Just look at some of the trends.

Certainly, we can see some worrying trends. For a start, the effects of new machine technology are not showing up in productivity statistics—at least not yet—and productivity is by far the most important driver of long-term economic growth.

Now I am not an expert on the Economy, but we are all touched by it and using common sense I for one can see that there is a looming problem. For instance one of the biggest worries is how technological innovation affects jobs put simply will machines leave even more workers behind?

You may not want to give this a second glance but even seasoned professionals can find themselves cast adrift on an unfamiliar ocean.

Rising inequality

My second point about rising inequalities is going to be brief. But here’s a little statistic for you to consider. According to Oxfam, almost half the world’s wealth is owned by one percent of the population and, stunningly, the bottom half of the world’s population owns the same as the richest 85 people in the world.

What is causing such a convulsion in the distribution of income? There is no single factor here, although it seems clear that technology is one of the major factors—it can create huge rewards for the extraordinary visionaries at the top, and huge anxieties for the ordinary workers at the bottom. The speed at which information is sent around the world means that the average disgruntled people who make up the 5 largest country can amplify unrest as they all voice their fears to the small percentage of the world wealth holders.

What about some solutions?

So finally what is the purpose of education in today’s 21 Century, I quote Jane Stanford of Standford University — “with a “spirit of equality”. One of her goals for the university was “to resist the tendency to the stratification of society, by keeping open an avenue whereby the deserving and exceptional may rise through their own efforts from the lowest to the highest stations in life”.

What has happened? Why have these large institutions priced education out of these fundamental principles?

How can we make the new economic age enhance, rather than diminish, our humanity? How can we make this amazing innovation advance the prospects of all people?

It is clear that at the moment Educational systems are not keeping pace with changing technology and the ever-evolving world of work.

Not enough people are thinking strategically enough in this area. Fundamentally, we need to change what people learn, how people learn, when people learn, and even why people learn.

We must get beyond the traditional model of students sitting passively in classrooms, following instructions and memorising material. It is evident that computers can do that for us! A 21st century educational system must focus on the areas where humans can outclass computers—such as in cognitive skills, interpersonal skills, fine motor skills, or sophisticated coding skills. Maybe we need to remind ourselves of the purpose of education and vocational education. I summarise in my words the following:

The purpose of education

The first and foremost purpose of education is to educate and give everyone equal opportunity as a means to succeed in life. Education is a way of igniting and enlightening the thought of an individual.

It should help learners to discriminate between knowledge and ignorance, help to create a spark and create the sense of realisation with logic and a way to reason why the other things are illogical.

The purpose of vocational education

Every man must have a vocation – a trade, a business, or a profession – (if they are able too) in order to earn his livelihood so that they can support themselves, their family and people who cannot help themselves in our society. There are institutions for imparting various types of specialised training to help people qualify for this. The specialist is in demand everywhere, – in the office as well as in factories, in educational institutions and governments.

Conclusion.

The traditional belief that we must prepare ourselves to be ‘employable’ is under threat. The counter argument encourages us to ‘gear up’ for earning our own money, rather than seeing income as someone else’s responsibility.

With the population dramatically ageing and low-level jobs increasingly swallowed up by machinery, entrepreneurship will be a necessity for many, rather than a life-style choice for some.

SMEs are of course already leading this charge but in order to gear up for the future we need to start off by asking a serious question, defining criteria’s, and examining trends, impact these trends will have and plan a way to jointly prepare current and future generations to be both employable and entrepreneurial.

We are living in a new economy—powered by technology, fueled by information, and driven by knowledge. And we are entering the new century with opportunity on our side but huge problems that require new thinking.

The Questionwe should all ask ourselves?

Do you think you have another 20 – 30 years to live Yes [ ] No [ ]

Do you think you have another 30 – 50 years to live Yes [ ] No [ ]

Do you think you have another 50 – 70 years to live Yes [ ] No [ ]

Have you considered what you are going to do for the next 40- 70 years?

What will the job market look like in the next 20 years?

What will you be able to do to solve your problem which could be unemployment and patchy income streams?

What will you be able to do that will solve someone’s problem for which they will pay you a fee?

If computers might even replace our intelligence, they can never replace the capacities that make us truly human: our creativity and innovation, our passion.

To help them keep busy or at work; engaging their skills and attentions to employ themselves independently and maintain work.

To help them organise and manages their own business, contracts or employability.

To help them be available to be hired, provide them with a safe platform to encourage them to supply soft or hard skill for solving problems or being of service for which they will be paid by another party.

Making sure that the skill they have can be updated to help support them firstly, their family and community and economy.

Millions of grandparents to fund grand children’s university education as students continue to struggle with high tuition fees

Due to the rising cost of tuition, it has been reported that grandparents are helping to bail out their family by contributing to the rising cost of education for their grandchildren.

More than 360,000 grandparents according to an article in the telegraph October 2013 states that they have already helped out with funding their grandchildren through university but this figure is expected to rise as more students struggle to cope with the cost of university tuition fees, researchers found.

Around one in eight over 55s think they will need to contribute to fees of around £9,000 a year, with many dipping into their savings to help out their grandchildren when they go onto higher education.

Researchers found as people got older more expected to make a contribution, 10 per cent of those aged between 55 and 64 planning to help with funding, which increased to 15 per cent for the over 65s.

Around 637,456 students applied to university in 2013, compared with 618,247 in 2012, which suggests people could be using their families to help them pay fees.

Accessing quality courses online and on the move

Ucas reveals 4% increase in the number of applicants to UK universities despite slight decline in number of 18-year-olds according to the Guardian’s report in January 2014

The study of over 55s by Key Retirement Solutions found as many as one in eight grandparents – equivalent to 1.7 million over-55s – expect to have to pay towards their grand children’s university fees.

“The numbers of grandparents providing financial assistance for university tuition is set to rocket from current levels as the implications of the maximum £9,000 a year tuition fees become clear.

Young people from the worst-off areas in England are now almost twice as likely to apply to university as they were 10 years ago, according to the Ucas data.

But academics and policy experts said the buoyant figures masked some unhealthy trends, with wide gaps in participation and a worrying fall in the number of young men applying to university compared with women.

Why online education will woo the person with the purse strings?

The higher-education model of lecturing, cramming and examination has barely changed for centuries. Now, three disruptive waves are threatening to upend established ways of teaching and learning.

Around the world demand for retraining and continuing education is soaring among workers of all ages. Globalization and automation have shrunk the number of jobs requiring a middling level of education. Those workers with the means to do so have sought more education, in an attempt to stay ahead of the labour-demand curve. In America, higher-education enrollment by students aged 35 or older rose by 314,000 in the 1990s, but by 899,000 in the 2000s.

So demand for education will grow. Who will meet it? Universities face a new competitor in the form of massive open online courses.
These digitally-delivered courses, which teach students via the web or tablet apps, have big advantages over their established rivals.

With low startup costs and powerful economies of scale, online courses dramatically lower the price of learning and widen access to it, by removing the need for students to be taught at set times or places.

This could eventually be the saving grace for lots of grandparents.

As one of the disruptive effects of the job market is the requirement for more people to develop and have doing skills, entrepreneur skills and all round communication skills, looking at short expert courses could be the best gift a grand parent or parent could give to their child.

GrowthAccelerator is a premium service that helps England’s brightest growing businesses achieve their ambitions with rapid, sustainable growth. It’s a partnership between private enterprise and the UK government. And it’s affordable.

GrowthAccelerator’s network of world-class growth experts work side by side with leaders of high-growth potential small and medium-sized businesses to provide them with the know-how and ability to achieve sustainable growth. The service helps business leaders discover the real issues that could be holding their businesses back, define the right growth plan and open doors to world class business experts and networks.

What will my business get from GrowthAccelerator?

Each Growth Managers and coaches will help you:

Appreciate your true potential for growth and set achievable goals

Attract investment by developing your funding proposition and introducing you to funder – identify and overcome the barriers holding you back

Connect with business experts and networks to achieve insight and build relationships

About Growth Coaches:

Have proven track records in helping small and medium-sized companies accelerate and sustain their growth, in every size, region and sector

Have made the same journey themselves so they know what it’s like to fight for success.

Know when to talk, when to listen, and how to lead you to ideas that will transform your business.

Leadership and Management

A great leader can make a business thrive. But having a whole team of great leaders could propel your business into rapid growth.

If investment in your leadership team is crucial to growing your business, GrowthAccelerator, with Government backing, can make a financial contribution that makes your commitment even more worthwhile – invest in your team and GrowthAccelerator will too.

This is where the Academy of Vocational & Professional Training can help as one of the registered training providers we can deliver your Leadership and Management training.

Access match funding up to £2,000 for every director and senior manager

To develop and empower your leadership team during your next drive for business growth, GrowthAccelerator offers match funding of up to £2,000 for every senior manager involved in the strategic direction of the business, to undertake leadership and management training recommended for your business.

Different directors and senior managers will be able to take different types of leadership and management training and you’ll be able to apply for training once you are signed up to GrowthAccelerator and have paid your invoice – with the proviso that training begins within 90 days of match funding being approved.

Any leadership and development training that you need will be given alongside other core workshops, masterclasses and coaching that your Growth Manager recommends in your growth plan. GrowthAccelerator has a team of Leadership and Management Specialists who will recommend the best training for your business needs.

Training eligible for match funding through GrowthAccelerator will fall under the following key areas:

Developing an effective personal leadership and management style

Leading and managing high performance

Planning and developing an effective organisation

Creating a joint enterprise culture

Sustaining growth and continuous improvement

Embedding a culture of innovation

New market entry

Is your business eligible?

If your business is registered in England, has fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than £40m contact us on 0203 551 2621.

What do you have to invest?

This is done through the official GrowthAccelerator Managers. GrowthAccelerator is a partnership between private enterprise and government which means we can keep the service affordable. Because Government is investing with you in the growth of your business, the cost to you is significantly reduced. Your investment in GrowthAccelerator will reflect the size of your business: